Blowout preventer



May 12, 1942. w. E. KING BLOWOUT PREVENTER Filed June 17, 1952 n5 3?, S. Q 5 mm m WALTER E. KING qN EEN TOR. BY 5 6 .GLJ:

ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 12, 1942 BLOWOUT PREVENTER Walter E.

King, Houston, Tex., assignor to J. S. Abercrombie, Houston, Tex.

Application June 17, 1932, Serial No. 617,837

2 Claims.

The invention relates to an improvement in blowout preventers of the type adapted to be used in sealing the heads of wells during the drilling and flowing operations.

Various types of blowout preventers have been devised heretofore, wherein rams have been adapted' to be moved into contact with a pipe passing through the blowout preventer housing in order to maintain a seal about the pipe. These blowout preventers are subjected to enormous pressures, both from the well casing and from the operating connections. It is very desirable, therefore, to provide these preventers with suitable sealing elements between the connecting and operating parts, and it is to such a construction that the present invention is (ii-- rected.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a blowout preventer wherein all the connecting parts thereof are provided with pressure expansive sealing gaskets or elements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a blowout preventer wherein the moving parts are sealed with respect to the stationary parts by means of pressure expansive packing elements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pressure expansive packing adjacent the connected stationary parts of a blowout preventer in order to obtain a seal against the enormous pressures encountered.

Another object of the invention is to provide a blowout preventer having a plurality of independent sources of power for operating the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide a blowout preventer wherein the pressure in the well bore may be equalized behind the rams and upon either side of the operating piston, and wherein fluid pressure independent of the equalizing pressure may be applied either behind the ram or upon either side of the piston and wherein further a manual means is provided for operating'the ram.

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the drawing, ,wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one type of blowout preventer with one half shown in section to illustrate the construction of the parts, and the other half shown in elevation to illustrate the arrangement of the pipe connectionsi Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are sectional views of packing elements which are used in connection with the blowout preventer.

The blowout preventer is constructed of a main body or housing 2 which is adapted for connection to a well head or well casing, either directly by a threaded connection or by means of the flanged coupling 3 which is threaded internally at 4 for connection to the well casing. The housing 2 is provided with a flange 5 which is shown as bolted to the flange coupling 3. The housing 2 is provided with the usual central passage 6 which is arranged to have drill pipe or tubing passed therethrough during the well drilling, flowing, or pumping operations. It is often desirable to close oil this passage 6 while there is a pipe or tubing passing therethrough. With this in mind the rams I have been provided. one of which is disposed on each side of the passage 6. These rams are movable in the lateral passage and are provided with a cut-away forward face at 9 so that the two rams are complimentary and will form a seal about the pipe.

The passage 8 is formed in the lateral extension II of the housing 2 and in order that the parts may be assembled the intermediate head I2 is shown as removable from the extension I I. The intermediate head I2 may be either flanged or threaded for connection to the extension II. The construction here shown is flanged with the bolts I3 holding the flanges I4 on the cylinder and at I5 on the extension in abutting relationship. The intermediate head I2 is provided for the purpose of closing the end of the chamber 8 and to also serve as a bearing for the operating shaft I6 which is connected to the ram I. This shaft is arranged to pass through the stufling boxes I8, one of which is disposed adjacent each end of the intermediate head.

In order to operate the ram I and the shaft I6 a piston 20 is disposed in the chamber 2| which is formed by the sleeve 22 being attached to the end of the intermediate head I2. The piston is preferably rigidly connected to the shaft I6 and is shown as threaded thereto at 23. It is intended that a cap or head 25 will be provided for the sleeve 22 to serve as a closure therefor. Through-bolts 26 are shown as passing through the flange on the end of the intermediate head I2 and the flange on the cap 25 so that the sleeve 22 is confined between these two parts.

Fluid passage entrances 21 and 28 are provided in the cap or head 25. It is intended that steam or other fluid under pressure will be connected to the passage 21 by means of the pipe 21 hind the piston 20 to facilitate the automatic op- 35' and the equalizing pressure from the well casing is applied to the passage 36 by the pipe 36' A spindle 30 has been provided in the cap 25 and is threaded therein as at 3|. This spindle passes through a stufling box 32 in the cap and is provided with a head 33 which engages the outer edge of .the piston 20. This spindle is provided with a wrench engaging portion 34 so that if it is desired to close the ram I this spindle may be turned in to engage the piston 20 and hold the rams in closed position so that the fluid pressure can be cut off. It seems obvious that this spindle may be run in to any desired position to limit the outward movement of the ram I. The spindle 30 may be used to manipulate the ram independent of any fluid or equalizing pressure if desired, or it may be used in conjunction with either the fluid pressure or the equalizing pressure or with both pressures combined.

In certain instances the pressure is sogreat on the ram I from the well head that it is desirable to balance the pressure on the rams as well as on the piston as previously described. With this in view, a passage 40 has been provided in the inner end of the cylinder i2 which passage 40 may be connected to the equalizing line 40', which is connected to the equalizing line 23', or it may be connected to any independent source of pressure. Another similar passage 4| has been provided so that steam or other fluid under pressure from the line 28' may be admitted to the passage 4i through the pipe 42 and may be applied to the rear of the ram to facilitate its operation. These two passages 40 and 4| are an advantage also in event there is leakage of mud or other fluid in behind the ram I because fluid such as compressed air or water may be pumped into the passage 4| and out of the passage 40 to flush out behind the ram.

In order that all of the parts previously described willbe adequately sealed to withstand pressures of from two to flve thousand pounds per square inch, a particular type of packinghas been devised, This packing is shown in three forms in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 respectively. Fig. 2 shows a packing ring 50 which is particularly adapted to beplaced between the flanges 3 and and between the flanges I4 and It. This ring is shown as being composed of resilient material such as rubber and having a base SI and the pressure expansive exposed faces 52. The base Si is preferably of more rigid material than the exposed faces 52.

Fig. 2 shows a section wherein the base is of more rigid material and if the packing element is made of rubber the base 5| will be of relatively hard rubber, whereas the remaining part of the packing element such as the exposed faces 52 and the lips 53 and 54 will be made of relatively soft resilient rubber. The faces 53 and 54 are preferably convex so that a greater area will be presented to the pressure. The faces merge toe gether as at 53 to form a smooth surface. The

base 5| and the resilient portion 52 merge together on substantially a concaved area as at 58 so that the edges 51 of the more rigid material will gradually merge into the resilient material. The lips 53 and 54 are formed of a somewhat reater width than the width of the base so that normally they are extended as in Fig. 2.

With this construction, when the ring is placed in position as shown in Fig. 1, the lips 53 and 54 will be compressed somewhat so that they will normally create a pressure against the supporting surface. When pressure is applied to the area which is to be sealed ofl by the ring the pressure is added to the inherent resiliency of the rihg to initially form the seal. The pressure, of course, is transmitted through the body of the packing, and the portion 51 of the more rigid base is gradually forced against the side of the supporting surface. Obviously, the movement of this more rigid part will be less than of the resilient exposed portion. The rigid base will serve to adequately support the more resilient portions and inasmuch as the more rigid base is adjacent the low pressure side of the ring it will serve to prevent flowing of the more resilient material through any opening or space on the low pressure side. When this ring is applied as shown in Fig. 1, between the flanges the rigid base will serve to properly support the ring and there can be no distortion of the ring to cause it to be extended beyond its elastic limit. Attention is directed to the fact that the flange 3 and the flange I4 are each provided with a recess such as 60 which is adapted to contain the packing. This simplifies the construction because the exposed flanges 5 and I5 may be machined with a smooth surface.

Fig. 3 shows another form of the packing wherein the lips 53 and 54 are the same as in the Fig. 2 form of the invention, except they have been positioned axially of the ring. The ring is indicated generally at 62 and instead of the solid base such as 5| in the ring 50, the rigid portion is indicated at 63 and preferably constitutes only a portion of the base. The area of this rigid part 63 is illustrated as somewhat rectangular so that there will be no definite point of cleavage between the rigid and resilient material, The ring 62 is particularly adapted for use in packing in the stuillng boxes l8 and 32 about the operating rod I I6 and the spindle 30, respectively, as well as on the face of the ram I. In this manner, the rigid porton 63 comes in contact with the moving rod or spindle and prevents flowing of the resilient lip 54 though the area around the gland member of the stumng box.

Another form of the ring is shown in Fig. 4 at I5, and this form is particularly adapted for use on-the ram I and the piston 20, as well as around the sleeve 22. This ring is formed in a manner similar to the ring 62 of Fig. 3, except that the rigid portion is indicated at I0 and is on the outer periphery of the ring instead of being on the inner periphery as shown in Fig. 3. The lips 53 and 54 are preferably the same in this ring. With this construction the rigid portion III is arranged to engage with the surface at 12 to the end of the cylinder l2, and as at 13 to the inner end or the cap 25. These two lips are both extended to pass over the retaining flange such as 14 and are confined by the sleeve 22. When these rings are subjected to pressure the rigid portion 10 prevents the flowing of the material between the ends or the sleeve and the abutting ends 01' the cylinder and the cap respectively.

The ram I is shown as being provided with a demountable head 18 which may serve to retain the packing ring I! in position or the ring may be extended and snapped into position over the head if desired.

In all locations where these packing rings are used, the lips 53 and Il are presented in the direction from which the pressure is to be applied and the more rigid base is to serve as a support for the more resilient lips.

In a blowout preventer made up in accordance with the present disclosure no leaks are possible; the rams and pistons are both adequately sealed to maintain enormous pressure and it has been found in actual practice that rings of this type when applied as here described, give a very eflicient and serviceable sealing construction.

It is to be understood that the piping such as 21', 28, ll, 38, 40' and 42, will be equipped with suitable valves. Two such valves are indicated generally at 80 in the lines 28' andji respectively. By the manipulation of these valves it is intended that the fluid pressure or the equalizing pressure may be controlled as desired so that the rams and pistons can be operated wholly by independent fluid pressure they may be operated by equalizing the pressure on the back of the rams and using fluid pressure on the piston, or by using fluid pressure on the ram and equalizing pressure on the piston, or they may be operated by manually moving the spindle 30 when the well pressure is either equalized behind the ram or behind the piston or both. In other words, a plurality of independent sources of power have been provided which may be used independently of each other or in combination in any desired manner.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A blowout preventer including a housing.

- rams slidable transversely thereof, pistons connected to said rams, a chamber in which each of said pistons is mounted, two sources 01' fluid pressure connected to be applied behind said rams or on either side of said pistons either simultaneously or independently, one of said sources being the high pressure side of the well casing, and manual means also arranged to move said rams.

2. A blowout preventer including a housin rams slidable transversely thereof, pistons connected to said rams, a chamber in which each oi. said pistons is mounted, two sources of fluid pressure connected to be applied behind said rams or on either side of said pistons either simultaneously or independently, one or said sources bein the well pressure, and manual means also arranged to move said rams either independently $1 ttlhe fluid pressures or in conjunction there- WALTER E. KING. 

